CH 284

Words : 1102 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

A Happy Food Stall Discovery “But that’s enough talk, Mr. Takumi. We should focus on eating right now. See, there are more food stalls over there!” “…Yes.” “Wuff!” As the conversation was a little heavy, Mr. Ekenhart wanted to change the subject. And then he cheerfully walked towards the next stall. In the end, it all depended on Ms. Anne herself. So there was no point in us talking about it. Though…it did make me think about how I would interact with her. But for now, I will try to enjoy my time in the town of Ractos. Besides, Leo had not eaten enough yet, and she was wagging her tail as she looked at the meat. “Oh, this one is good. Ractos really does have all kinds of food. Here, try this one, Mr. Takumi.” “Yes, yes. …Hmm, yes it is quite good. Here, Leo.” “Wuff! Wuff-wuff.” Mr. Ekenhart went around to different stalls until his hands were full with food, and then he began to bite into it. I suppose since Ms. Claire wasn’t around today, he could enjoy his food without worrying about manners. And so I followed his advice and bought some food and ate it, while also giving some to Leo. Indeed, they were all delicious, but… I was getting bored of it, since it was all meat… But it seemed like that was all that Leo and Mr. Ekenhart liked. “It would be nice if they had something less heavy… Something that isn’t meat.” “Hmm. Yes, I suppose one might get bored of it… Not that I would.” “Wuff!” And so we moved away from the meat stalls and looked around for something else. Mr. Ekenhart did not mind only eating meat, and Leo barked in agreement. But I wanted something different. Though, I suppose I didn’t really have to worry about nutritional balance, since we would have a proper meal when we returned to the mansion anyway. So it was more of a matter of variety. “Oh, what about that one…” “Hmm? Yes, that one seems a little different. Should we go and see it?” “Yes. Let’s go.” After looking around, most of the other stalls were also just cooking meat. But then I saw one that was a little different. And so I walked over to it with Mr. Ekenhart and Leo, and realized that there was something familiar about the smell. “Welcome!” “Is this…pasta? Though, it is quite dark…but, it does smell good…” “…Yakisoba? But why in a place like this…” I could smell the scent of burning sauce. It reminded me of festivals and the food they sold at the beach. But isn’t it…a Japanese dish? Well, I suppose it could be made anywhere. So maybe it wasn’t all that strange… “Mister. What are you making? I have never seen it before…” “Aye! This is called yakisoba. It’s just fried noodles and vegetables with a special sauce! As there is not much meat, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re craving meat, but it’s still very delicious!” “Hmm… Yakisoba… I have never heard that name before…” “Wuff-wuff.” Well, that was no surprise. But it was familiar to me. It was something that anyone in Japan would recognize. Leo seemed to remember it as well, as she was wagging her tail and drooling as she looked up at the yakisoba. “Mister, I’ll take three.” “Aye, coming right up!” “You’re going to eat it, Mr. Takumi? It looks burnt…” “Yes, of course. It’s actually really good!” “It is? And you have eaten it before?” “Yes. It was very common in the place that I’m from.” “…I see.” “Wuff!” And so I bought three from the old man and paid him. I had already told Mr. Ekenhart that I had come from another world. After learning that I had eaten this there, he went from being hesitant to being interested in it. As Leo knew about it already, she barked happily as she waited. I know that you’re happy, but don’t bark so loudly, okay? You’re going to scare the old man. “Here you go!” “Thank you. Here, Mr. Ekenhart. Leo. Be careful, since it’s quite hot.” “Hmm… Let us taste it then.” “Wuff!” The yakisoba was put in containers made of layered paper. I accepted them and then passed them to Mr. Ekenhart and Leo. Then we were given small wooden forks. Chopsticks would have been nice…but I would not complain. Besides, I doubted Mr. Ekenhart would be able to use them. “Let’s eat it then. …Zuru-zuru-zuru! Yes, it’s good!” “Mr. Takumi… I don’t mean to sound like my daughter, but perhaps you should stop slurping like that when you eat?” “Ahaha. Yes, I suppose you’re right.” “…Well, maybe it’s not too bad. And since Claire isn’t around… Zuru-zuru-zur! Hmm!” “It’s good, isn’t it?” “Wuff-wuff!” I used the fork to eat the noodles along with the meat and vegetables. As it wasn’t soup, there was no need to slurp it, but I got carried away, since it had been a while since I last ate it. As the noodles were pasta, the texture was a little different, but it was still good. Even the sauce was a little distinct, while also being recognizable. In any case, I did not expect to see it here, and I was more than satisfied. Mr. Ekenhart then copied the way I ate it, and his eyes widened with delight. Leo allowed hers to cool off a little and then gobbled it up quickly. So she must have liked it as well. Though, it would have been nice to have some seaweed flakes with it… “Ah, that was very tasty. I suppose it was because the sauce was so dark? And the vegetables and meat gave it a good balance.” “You can adjust it to your liking.” “Hmm… Maybe I will ask Helena to make some… Of course, we will have to eat it differently in front of Claire.” “That’s true. It’s not good manners here… Alright, Leo. I wiped most of it off.” “Wuff!” Once she was finished eating, I wiped the sauce from around Leo’s mouth, and talked with Mr. Ekenhart. I was glad that Mr. Ekenhart also enjoyed it so much. And while I had wiped Leo with a wet cloth…there was still some sauce left on her… I suppose she would have to take a bath when we returned.

CH 284

Comments (0)